Let me ask you a question… why do you have portraits taken, or take photographs at all? Surely it must be because you want them to live forever on your smart phone or computer, or better yet, on a disc or USB drive in a drawer, right? Of course not. You take pictures to preserve and display your memories. So why has printing and hanging your photographs become such a lost art? I’m sure we all start out with better intentions, but even I am guilty of getting a disc, feeling ‘safe’ and then never doing anything with my pictures. It’s time for that to change, and I’ll share a few reasons why.

#1 – Digital files are not archival.

While having those digital negatives may give you a sense of security, knowing you’ll have them to ‘do whatever you want’ with down the road, I’m afraid I have to ask… have you ever had a computer hard drive crash? Accidentally overwritten a file? Had a memory card corrupt? There are lots of things that can happen to digital media, and I can tell you one thing for certain, you can always make a new file from a printed photograph, but you can NOT make a printed photograph from a corrupted digital file.

#2 – Technology is constantly evolving.

There are forms of digital media that we used just a few years ago that are becoming (if not already completely) obsolete. When was the last time you came across a computer that could read a floppy disc? Just sayin’. Just because a certain type of media is readily accessible now, doesn’t mean you will be able to use it down the road. Printed photographs aren’t dependent on any given type of technology.

#3 – Printing and displaying photographs in your home gives your children a sense of self-worth

We want to surround ourselves with the things that matter most to us, and bring smiles to our faces. It’s amazing how special a child feels when the images they are surrounded by are of happy moments in their lives. When they can see daily (without having to open a laptop or boot up a computer) that they are a valued member of a strong family unit, it helps them to develop a strong sense of self.

So however you choose to print your photos, whether they be in albums, as canvases on the wall, or any way you see fit, I implore you to start today. Preserve those images in the safest way possible, and hang them on your walls so you can truly get the fullest amount of satisfaction and joy they will spark!

We’ll go over methods of backing up both your digital and printed photographs in a future post, but for now, I’d love to hear about your experiences! Have you ever had a time where you lost images? What are the best ways you’ve used to preserve your memories? Feel free to share in the comments!